A Great Connection - Atlanta’s Art on the Beltline

Atlanta’s Art on the Beltline has selected sixty-six visual and performing art pieces to present along the 22-mile loop of proposed transit and urban green space. Water Is Life – Hidden Springs, Atlanta  (the performance piece I proposed) is included as part of this three month event which is now in its second year.
***
One Saturday morning I join a number of the other artists to walk part of the Beltline to locate sites for our outdoor projects. Early into the hike a fellah walks up beside me and says, “Hi, Sandy”.

“Hi.”

"You’re from Erie,” says he.

“I am,” says I.

I look him over carefully and decide I don’t know him. He certainly seems to know me.
***
Presque Isle, Erie PA - Oct. 2010   Photo: Sandra Hughes 

Usually, only family  members and long time friends call me Sandy. Occasionally,  someone says it intuitively which I always appreciate because I actually prefer Sandy to Sandra. I adopted the use of my full, formal, first name some decades ago  as a career tactic (back when I looked like a teenage babysitter) to encourage people who met me to take me seriously as an artist.

It turns out Harry Zmijewski is one of the Beltline artists, too. He does sculpture and is originally from Erie, PA. We went to the same high school (Academy) and junior high (Wilson). I’ve lived in Atlanta for over three decades and this is the first time I’ve met another person here from my hometown. (There may be other Erieites out there, but I haven’t met you, yet.) I’m told only 1% of the people born in Erie ever leave.
Dreams of Flying by Harry Zmijewski
You may have heard the saying, “Dreary Erie, the mistake by the lake". It’s a ploy to keep the place from becoming over-populated. Erieites don’t leave Erie. Why?  Because they like it there. When I was 15 years old my father took a job in Texas and I was removed from Erie by my parents. My father was born in Canada – not Erie. My Mother was born in New York - not Erie.

Harry tells me his experience is same. He’s been in Georgia since the 1980’s and I’m the only other person he’s meet here from Erie.

Gem of Thought by Harry  Zmijewski

Harry’s creating a bench for Art on The Beltline – a very fancy bench with six parts. It’s so unique he holds the copyright to it. Two of Harry’s sculptures, Dreams of Flying and Amne, are currently on the Suwanee, Georgia Walkable Exhibit. (You can also vote for Harry's sculptures at this site.) His original outdoor sculptures are on display through March 2012 in downtown Suwanee and they’re both for sale.

Amne by Harry Zmijewski
Oh yes, Mike Hickey, a member of our creative team for Hidden Springs, was walking on the Beltline trail behind me and told Harry about me. I wonder if Mike actually called me Sandy and said I was from Erie. I’ll have to ask Harry.  I also wonder how many other people are out on the Beltline connecting with people from their hometown! When I know the dates and site locations for Harry's bench and my performance  at Art on the Beltline I'll let you know.

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